Compensating switch



Dec. 16, 1930; H. ROWNTREE COMPENSATING SWITCH Filed May 15, 1926 2 She'ets-sheet l v BY Dec. 16, 1930. H. ROWNTREE 1,784,883

COMPENSATING SWI TCH Filed May 15, 1926 2. Sheets-Sheet 2 I VENTOR N [and Kwnf-r-ee bis ATTORNEYS.

Patented Dec. 16, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE HAROLD R 1 NTREE, SCARSDALE, NEW'YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 NATIONAL Pii'EUMATIC COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF VEST VIRGINIA GOMPENSATING swrroH Application 'filed May 15,

This invention relates in general to a particular form of electric switch.

The object of this invention is the provision of a special type of switch which will quickly make and maintain an electrical circuit in one direction of its motion and immediately break the circuit when it is moved in the opposite direction. 7

Another object of this invention is the provision of a special type of switch for use in connection with the operation of automatically operated doors in passageways.

A still further object of'the invention is the provision ofa new and novel device of the above type which is simple and cheap to construct and eificient in operation, and maintenance. V

This invention resides substantially in the construction, combination, arrangement and relative location of parts as will be more fully described in the specification and illustrated in the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, in which the same numerals will be used throughout the several views to indicate the same or similar parts,

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of my novel switch.

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross sectional view taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

' Fig. 3 is a view of a circuit arrangement employing my novel switch.

The particular switch disclosed in this invention is particularly adapted for use with barriers mounted in'thepassageway to automatically operate the doors so that on move.- ment of the barrier, the switch is operated to close a circuit to the valve puller of the door engines so as to admit air to the door engine cylinder to cause the doors to open. A particular arrangement showing the use of this switch is disclosed in my copending appli cation, Serial No. 126,835 filed August 3, 1926.

In Fig. 1 is shown a bracket 1 which forms a support and journal for the vertical shaft 2 on the upper end of which is to be mounted a barrier as is disclosed in the above mentioned application, and which forms no part of this invention- Attached to the bracket 1 bymeans of the 1926. Serial K011093255.

screws 4 is a flat plate or disk of insulating material 3 having secured to its periphery 2 separate conducting strips 8. Resting on the top of the disk 3 is another insulating disk 5 and in turn, supported by the disk 5 is an insulating disk 6 which is separated from the disk or plate 5 by means of the washer 7. All three disks encircle the shaft 2 and are loosely mounted thereon, with the exception of the disk 6 which is secured thereto by means of the pin 17 Secured to the strips 8 and depending from the lower surface of the plate disk 3 are two terminal elements 9, as shown in Fig. 1. Secured diametrically opposite to each other on the periphery of the plate or disk 5 are two contacting shoes or fingers 10 secured thereto by means of the threaded screws 11 which also serve to hold the metal inserts 12 within their bores in the member 5. Threaded into holes in the upper disk 6 are two metal thimbles 13 within which are mounted the springs 14 and the ball contacting members 15 which are forced downward- 1y by the springs 14 so as to be in rolling contact with the disk 5. A short jumper 16 electrically connects the two thimbles 13 together. Mounted on the periphery of the disk 5 (as shown in Fig. 1), are the two pins 18 and 19 between which move the finger 20 which is secured to the upper disk 6.

Looking at the switch in Fig. 1, and as suming shaft 2 to rotate in a counter-clockwise direction, it will be seen that immediately upon movement of the shaft 2 the disk 6 which is secured to it will move with it, while the movable disk 5 remains stationary so that the ball contacts 15 will roll on to the metal inserts 12 of the disk 5. By the time this is accomplished, the finger 20 will have moved over against the pin 19 so that on continuing the counter-clockwise rotation to shaft 2, the movable disk 5 will rotate with it so that the shoes 10 mounted on the periphery of the disk 5 will slide over the conducting strips 8. Thus electrical current will travel from the terminal 9, shown at the lower part of Fig. 1, through strip 8, shoe 10, screw 11, metal insert 12, ball 15, spring 14, thimble 13, jumper 16 and thence through the other thimble 13, spring 14, ball 15, metal insert 12, screw 11, shoe 10, strip 8 and thence to terminal 9 and through the conducting wire connected thereto. Immediately on the reversal of the direction of rotation of shaft 2 the member 6 will reverse its direction of movement, and the contacting balls 15 will roll over the metal inserts immediately breaking the circuit connected thereto. As soon as the finger 2O strikes against the pin 18 the disk 5 will. begin to rotate in the reverse direction and travel with the disk 6; but during all this operation the circuit will have been broken.

Referring to Fig. 3, it will be seen that upon the counter-clockwise rotation of the shaft 2 the electrical circuit will be closed as described above, between the wires 30 and 81 which lead to the magnet valve on the door engine 35. A suitable current source is shown at 82 which may be a battery or a generator. The magnet valve 33 admits air to the valve puller 84 which is connected by the link 36 to the valve 37 on the door engine to admit air pressure to the door engine in the well known manner. No further description need be given of the operation of the door engine and its various valves, since this is well known in the penumatic art.

It will be seen, therefore, by my invention, that immediately'upon the movement of the shaft 2 which is to support a barrier (not shown), the circuit to the door engine will be completed so that the doors can beimmediately opened and the circuit will be maintained through a continued displacement of the barrier and shaft 2 until the barrier is free so that the shaft can begin to reverse its rotation, whereupon the electrical circuit will be broken, permitting the doors to close.

I am aware that many changes in the details of construction will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art and I do not therefore desire to be 'limitedto the particular arrangement illustrated in the drawings but rather to the spirit and the scope of my invention as I define it in the appended claims.

Having now described my invention, what I seek to secure by United States Letters Patent is: 4

1. In a switch the combination with an operating shaft of a switch comprising a fixed member having a pluralityof contacts thereon, a movable member adapted to rotate on said shaft having shoes to cooperate'with said contacts and means operated by the shaft for moving the movable member with respect to the fixed member the contacts and shoes being arranged so that contact is made between them and immediately upon rotation of the shaft in one direction.

2. In a switch the combination of a rotatable shaft with a fixed member having contacts thereon, a relatively movable member having fingers thereon, and a third member attached to said shaft and having means thereon for causing said relatively movable member to rotate with it.

3. In a switch the combination of a rotatable shaft with a fixed disk having contacts thereon, a relatively movable disk hav ing fingers thereon to cooperate with said contacts, said fingers being connected to inserts in said movable disk, a third disk secured. to said shaft and having electrically connected resilient means for contacting with said inserts and means on said third disk for moving said movable disk with it.

4.-Ina switch the combination of a rotatable shaft with a fixed disk having contacts thereon, a relatively movable diskhaving fingers thereon to cooperate with said contacts, said fingers being connected to inserts in said movable disk, a third disk secured to said shaft and having electrically connected spring pressed contacting balls for cooperation with said metal inserts and means on said third disk for causing said movabledi'sk to rotate with it for making and maintaining a circuit associated with the contacts on said fixed disk duringthe rotation of the shaft in one direction and forimmediatel breaking the circuit on reversal of the d1recti0n of the rotation'of the shaft.

5. In a switch the combination of a fixed member having contact strips thereon and a freely movable member having fingers for forming a sliding contact with said strips and inserts electrically connected to said fingers of a third member having contacts thereon for cooperation with said inserts and means on said third member for causing said freelymovable member to move with it in one direction and to allow said third member alimited relative movement with respect to said freely movable member on reversal of the direction of movement of said third member.

6. In a switch the combination of a fixed member and a movable member, each having cooperating contacts thereon with a third member having contacts thereon for cooperation with the contacts of said movable member, said third member being freely movable with respect to said fixed member, and being adapted to move with said movable member in one direction and to have limited relative movement with respect to it in the other direction.

7. In a switch as described the combination comprising a fixed member having contacts thereon, a movable member having fingers thereon for energizing said contacts, and a third member secured to said shaft and having contacts thereon to electrically engage said fingers and means to engage said movable member upon rotation of said shaft in one direction whereby upon movement of the shaft in one direction said third member moves so that its contacts electrically engage said fingers and its means causes said movable member to move so that its fingers engage the contacts on said fixed member and immediately upon rotation of the shaft in the opposite direction the contacts on said third member are electrically disengaged from said fingers.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand on this 4th day of May A. D., 1926.

HAROLD ROWNTREE. 

